David Merrick was born on November 27, 1911 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA as David Margoulis. He is known for his work on Becket (1964), Hello, Dolly! (1969) and The Great Gatsby (1974). He was married to Natalie Lloyd, Etan Aronson, Jeanne Gibson, Leonore Beck and Karen Prunczik. He died on April 25, 2000 in London, England.
My attitude is like that of the alley cat - the alley cat that's not quite trustful, that's always watching for someone to leap on him.
2
I'll tell you what it's like to be No. 1. I compare it to climbing Mount Everest. It's very difficult. Lives are lost along the way. You struggle and struggle and finally you get up there. And guess what there is once you get up there? Snow and ice.
3
There's a horse's ass for every light on Broadway.
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Fact
1
Won a 1968 Special Tony Award (New York City).
2
Won a 1961 Special Tony Award (New York City) in recognition of a fabulous production record over the last seven years.
3
Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 407-409. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
4
In 1967, in what was considered a major gamble at the time, Merrick recast his hit production, "Hello, Dolly!," with an all-black cast led by Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway. It revived what had been flagging interest in the show, which went on to run another four years.
5
In this book "Making Movies", director Sidney Lumet described him as a "bully". Artist Al Hirschfeld drew a picture of him in a Santa Claus suit. Merrick bought the picture and had the image printed on holiday cards. Hirschfeld later said he probably did not understand the picture was supposed to be unflattering.
6
One of the most colorful, dynamic producers in Broadway history, a man whose talent for finding hit properties was matched only by his boldness, promotional skill, and not inconsiderable ego. Nevertheless, his instincts about entertainment usually turned out to be right, and a 40+ year string of hit shows was the result. Some of the best-known Merrick productions include "Hello, Dolly!," "Fanny," "Oliver!," "Becket," "Destry Rides Again," "Rosenkrantz and Guildernstern Are Dead," "Child's Play" (stage and film versions), and "42nd Street."
7
He graduated from Washington University before studying law. In 1940 he left his legal career behind in St. Louis to pursue a dream of producing Broadway shows, but it took him 14 years to make it and that was with ``Fanny.''
8
He established the David Merrick Arts Foundation in 1998 to support the development of American musicals and the people who create them.
9
He won six Tony awards -- for 'Becket', 'Luther', 'Hello, Dolly!,' 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,' 'Travesties' , and '42nd Street' and he received two honorary Tonys.
10
He suffered a stroke which impaired his speech and he had to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. [1983]
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
40 Carats
1973
producer: stage play
Last of the Mobile Hot Shots
1970
as produced on the stage by: The Seven Descents of Myrtle
Cactus Flower
1969
stage producer: New York
Hello, Dolly!
1969
based on the stage play "Hello, Dolly!" produced on the New York stage by
Stop the World: I Want to Get Off
1966
based on the play as produced for the New York stage by
Becket
1964
producer: New York stage play
Sunday in New York
1963
producer of Broadway play
Gypsy
1962
based upon the stage play produced by
Fanny
1961
produced on the stage by: Based upon the play "Fanny"
The World of Suzie Wong
1960
original stage producer
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Rough Cut
1980
producer
Semi-Tough
1977
producer
The Great Gatsby
1974
producer
Child's Play
1972
producer
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Des Broadways liebstes Kind
1969
TV Mini-Series
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Play It Again, Sam
1972
acknowledgment: produced on the New York Stage by
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The 35th Annual Tony Awards
1981
TV Special
Himself - Winner: Best Musical
Annie and the Hoods
1974
TV Special
Himself
Today
1974
TV Series
Himself
The Mike Douglas Show
1964-1971
TV Series
Himself - Broadway Producer / Himself - Co-Host / Himself - Guest / ...
The David Frost Show
1969-1971
TV Series
Himself
The Pearl Bailey Show
1971
TV Series
Himself
The Joe Namath Show
1969
TV Series
Himself
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
TV Series
Himself
Contrasts
1968
TV Series
Himself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1963-1968
TV Series
Himself - Guest / Himself
The 22nd Annual Tony Awards
1968
TV Special
Himself
The Merv Griffin Show
1965-1968
TV Series
Himself
The 21st Annual Tony Awards
1967
TV Special
Himself - Presenter: Best Play
What's My Line?
1966
TV Series
Himself - Mystery Guest
Firing Line
1966
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Late Show London
1966
TV Series
Himself
Mary Martin: Hello, Dolly! Round the World
1966
TV Movie documentary
Himself
That Regis Philbin Show
1965
TV Series
Himself
Talent Scouts
1962
TV Series
Himself
The Jack Paar Tonight Show
1962
TV Series
Himself
The Tonight Show
1962
TV Series
Himself - Producer
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Great Performances
1996
TV Series
Himself
Known for movies
Becket (1964) as Miscellaneous Crew
Hello, Dolly! (1969) as Miscellaneous Crew
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1963-1968) as Himself - Guest / Himself
$5 Million
